Melanie Farquhar had barely moved into 129 Johnson St. before Hollywood needed part of the property.
The new Niagara-on-the-Lake resident bought the Old Town home in November, spent months renovating it and finally moved in about a week ago.
Now, portable toilets are on the property. A generator is using part of the driveway. And outside her new home, a 20th Century Studios romantic comedy has turned a quiet Johnson Street stretch into a working film set.
“Actually, it was kind of fun watching,” Farquhar said.
The production is for the film adaptation of “Beach Read,” Emily Henry’s 2020 romance novel, which is being filmed in NOTL under the working title “Happily Ever After.”
The film stars Phoebe Dynevor and Patrick Schwarzenegger and is expected to be released next year by 20th Century Studios, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company.
Farquhar said the crew came for the movie, but fell for NOTL.
“They all love the town,” she said. “Everyone’s been crazy over it.”
Farquhar agreed to let the production use part of the property, including space for portable toilets and part of the driveway for a generator.
“Probably for a couple months now, they’ve been sending newsletters and coming by and talking to us,” she said.
So far, the experience has been positive, she added.
“We really look forward to seeing this movie.”
Farquhar declined to discuss any financial details of the agreement but said the production is using other homes nearby and sought permission to use part of her property.
“They had to ask us permission if we were fine with this,” she said. “They took insurance and stuff.”
That kind of setup could feel like an intrusion for some homeowners, but Farquhar said it has felt more like a front-row seat to something special.
“It was interesting to see how it works, how many people are involved,” she said, adding there’s “a lot of logistics.”
“There’s a lot of people here in the evening,” she said.
“They really don’t start up until about 4 o’clock, 5 o’clock, and they go pretty late.”
But from inside, she said, the disruption has been limited.
“I mean, really, you don’t hear it from inside.”
Farquhar said getting in and out of the house has also not been a problem.
“Oh yeah,” she said, when asked if leaving home and driving around had been manageable.
And the crew, she said, has been welcoming and courteous throughout the production.
“They’re super, super friendly.”
At one point, crew members even offered to take leftover garbage, she said.
Farquhar has only lived in the home for about a week, but already knows the neighbours from going back and forth during renovations. The production has turned into a neighbourhood curiosity, she said.
“We all knew about it.”
Farquhar said the mood on the street has been friendly, with one neighbour bringing Tim Hortons donuts for the crew.
“A lot of them are elderly,” Farquhar said of nearby neighbours. “They come out and watch and everyone (in production) talks with them.”
“They’ve been very easy to have around,” she added. “They’re very clean.”
The production has also drawn people who are not part of the neighbourhood.
Farquhar said a few women from Newfoundland came by while she was walking close by, hoping to spot some of the actors.
“They were like, ‘We came around, we’re looking for stars,’” she said. “And she said, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re in love with Niagara-on-the-Lake.’”
Filming in Old Town began last week and is expected to continue into mid-to-late June.
The production has already changed the rhythm in parts of NOTL, including at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 124 on King Street, where TCST Productions is using a significant portion of the parking lot from June 9 to June 20 for transportation vehicles and trucks.
Parks Canada has also agreed to provide additional parking at Fort George National Historic Site, while keeping the site open to visitors.
